2 new $350M containerships slated for Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A New Jersey-based shipping company says it will finance the $350 million construction of two containerships for Puerto Rico trade that will help the environment.

TOTE Inc. said Tuesday the ships will operate on liquefied natural gas, generate 71 percent less carbon dioxide than other ships and nearly eliminate particulate matter and sulfur oxides.

The company says the ships will sail between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, with one beginning in 2015 and the other in 2016.

They will be built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego and be able to accommodate five times the amount of 53-foot containers that current ships carry in Puerto Rico. TOTE says the ships will be able to carry large amounts of refrigerated cargo, including pharmaceuticals and produce.